New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-30
wRoyGFUL METHODS OF REDRESS

Renorts are current that the District No. 40,
| knights of Labor, having engaged in a struggle
which already involves many coal handlers and
'longshoremen, will next call out the coal miners
of the anthracite region and the employees OF
elevated railroads in this city, and compel them
to strike. The intent cannot be misunderstood.
1t is to cause such serious disturbance OF the
business and industry of the country, and such
heavy loss. that employers may be cOerced into
submitting to tho demands of the Knights The
nature of these demands need not here be
considered; 1t may be supposed that In all
respects they are as Just as In some they GER
tainly seem to be. But do the Knights of
Labor consider how the reported measures
would affect public opinion regarding them
If their demands were In every particular
reasonable and right, would public opinion
uphold them in subjecting thousands of work.
ingmen to great loss who have no part In the
controversy, and I'm nficting great loss upon
the entire community, in order to compel
acquescence9 This question is pertinent,
whether the reported measures are seriously
considered or not. For 1t is undeniable that
in this case already, as in not few other cases,
steps have been taken of the nature described
and with the same intent.
A workingman has an unquestiOnable right
to the prompt and honest payment Of his
wages But one Saturday man employed in
large establishment was by mistake or mis-
conduct of clerk paid less than his due. Be-
cause the mistake could not be corrected under
the rules until the next week. he threatened to
burn down the establishment, throwing hun
dreds of men out of employment and endan-
gering the safety of property all around, unless
the small difference was made good before
night. Was he IN the right In claim
ing what was his due, yes. But IN
threatening far greater harm to innocent
persons than he had suffered, or would suffer
If his just demand should never be met, clearly
he was not right. The cOnsiderate and reason
able workingman will surely see that the same
principle applies to proceedings by the knights
of Labor. Though every claim they make may
be perfectly just. they have no right to inflict
injury on unOffending persons, on the great
body of wOrkingmen, and on the whole COM
munlty.
Nor will the organization render its ultimate
success more probable by resorting to measures
hostile to public welfare. For every labor
organization, success means something more
than the attainment of an immediate end. 1t
position of wOrkingmen, the establishment
of public confidence in the organization, so
that it can act with efficiency on behalf OF the
employed in all difficulties and disputes.
That confidence, it is certain, will not be pro-
NOTED by any measure hostile to the public
welfare. Every intelligent workIngman knows
that the resort to violent or unjust methods by
the labor organizations has done more within
the past year to impair their influence and to
stir ppublic feeling against them, than all the
efforts of resisting employers. Every such
wOrkingman must know that thousands of
workers like himself are led to distrust an or
ganizatOn, and to withhold their support from
it, when they find that ii resorts to steps which
throw thousands out Of employment in order
to compel submission to a demand for the
benefit of half dozen or half hundred
The remedy is worse than the disease, work
ers see in such cases. Grant that it is a wrong
that six switch-tenders should be employed
against the rules of an organization the harm
done to workers by their continued employ
ment Is infinitely less than the harm done by
throwing thousands out of work. Grant that
every claim on behalf of the few workers for
the Old Dominion Company is reasonable and
just, and that injustice is done to all labor by
their denial, nevertheless infinitely greater in
jury to all labor is done by disorganizing trade
and commerce, by throwing thousands OF con-
tented workers out of work in the dead of
winter, and by teaching the public that labor
organizations have no regard for the best good
of laborers or for the prosperity of the COM
munity. The short way to destroy organiza-
tons and their influence is to resort to methods
which do greater harm than they seek to
remedy. No wOrkingman will second time
employ surgeon who cuts off an arm in order
to stop the pain of sore finger.